Alex Lyon Pro Reads 5
Short Side ‘Business Decisions’ and Toe Ties Improve Coverage
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Alex Lyon is off to a great start to this season with a .940 save percentage for the Detroit Red Wings that includes a 30-save 1-0 shutout win, so we’re going back to him earlier that originally scheduled for another Pro Reads video breakdown.
THE SEQUENCE
Lyon is facing the Philadelphia Flyers and an in-zone sequence that starts with a good hold in at the blue line and quickly turns into more of a quick rush type chance:
With the puck out past the left face-off dot but the puck carrier on his forehand and two passing options going to the net, what is your priority as a goalie?
Are you squaring up to the shot or flattening out to prepare for a push?
Are you staying outside the post, or tucking into a Reverse?
Perhaps most importantly, why are you making each decision?
THE SAVE
As you watch the sequence and replays below, ask yourself the same questions:
Watching the replays, what did you make of the way Lyon played this chance? What did you notice about his retreat and the way he hit the post with his skate?
Would you have done things differently? It’s OK, upon review, he might too.
Knowing that, how might you have handled this differently? All that said, what do you notice about what allows him to make this save anyway?
THE PRO READ
Now let’s hear from Lyon as he shares his thoughts on how he played this:
Watch Alex Lyon break down the full video for you
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- Alex Lyon breaks down his save against Philadelphia on an in-zone sequence that shifted into a quick-rush chance with two backdoor pass options.
- Lyon explains that short-side coverage is always the 'business decision' — letting in a backdoor tap-in is forgivable, but surrendering the short side is not.
- Even after reading the pass options available to the puck carrier, Lyon committed to hedging short side before addressing the backdoor threat.
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